


Blankets and Happiness

by MarvelMerlin



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-08-26
Packaged: 2018-12-20 00:07:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11909082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarvelMerlin/pseuds/MarvelMerlin
Summary: Based off of one of ass-gardiann's AU! collection from Tumblr: Crutchie finds his family, and Jack finds out that maybe Race was right for once.





	Blankets and Happiness

Race had met Spot in their first year of high school, and for once, maybe it was love at first sight, Jack didn’t really care about all that mushy stuff. The way he saw it, the two were just horny teenagers and they;d only last a couple of months.

But here he was, outside his dorm room, sitting in the hall, six years later, because he cared about his friend and they needed a date night. The community college’s dorm heater had blown and rather than fix it before the winter break, the administration had decided to give each room a space heater, but not a single one in the hall.

And to make matters worse, jack was in his pajamas, which were used to New York City winter rather than upstate winter. And man was upstate winter cold, it was so frigid that Spec’s had joked that it was the 7th circle of hell on Earth.

But Jack cared about his friend and his friend’s 6 year relationship, he reminded himself again, before remembering how Race’s scary boyfriend was even scarier when Jack had momentarily refused to leave.

So here he was, sitting on the ground, playing a stupid game on his phone as it slowly drained of power, on cold tile, leaning against an even colder wall, and waiting for frostbite to set in. 

Eventually Jack realized that this was stupid. He stood up and knocked on the door across from where he was sitting. There was some rustling before a shorter kid opened the door and a waft of warm air hit Jack. The kid, he was so small he could’ve been 16, had forearm crutches, freckles covered the boy’s nose and cheeks, Like stars on a clear summer’s night Jack thought to himself before realizing that the boy had said something.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know who the hell you are, but my roommate has someone over and It’s really cold outside…. Can I come in? Or like, have a blanket, or even a towel?” Jack asked quickly and the younger boy grinned, his front teeth were a little crooked, but that just made him more appealing to Jack.

“Come on in” The kid said, in a New York accent almost thicker than Jack’s. When Jack walked in the boy gestured to a small couch “Sit down, I’ll get youse some blankets.”

Jack collapsed on the small couch and smiled “Thanks Crutchie.” He said before catching his tongue, “’m sorry, I didn’t mean to uh-”

“’s fine” The star-faced boy acknowledged with a smile “I like it, Painter.” he joked as he unfolded a giant fluffy blanket for Jack, who took it and immediately curled up in it

“Jack.” he smiled “Name’s Jack. My name, I mean.” he mentally kicked himself

“Mine’s Charlie.” he answered, smiling as well 

As they talked well into the night, Jack couldn’t help but think that Race may have been right?

 

Weeks later Jack was at Crutchie’s door again, this time bearing coffee. When the boy answered the door Jack was surprised to see no bags packed. As he handed over the coffee, he inquired

“Not going home for Christmas?” before immediately regretting it when Crutchie looked down

“Don’t got a home to go to.” The boy replied, jumping a little when Jack threw his arm around his shoulders

“Well now ya do. You’re coming home with me an’ Race an’ the rest of the boys.” He smiled down at Crutchie and the small boy frowned

“Ya sure I won’t be a burden? I don’t wanna-”

“Believe me, we got space and food aplenty.” he interrupted “Medda an Kloppman always make a big feast, every year there’s a mountain of leftovers.” 

Crutchie smiled and nodded mutely and Jack grinned, letting go and grabbing a bag for Crutchie to pack into “You’ve met Davey right? See his family is in the apartment complex down the road so they always come for the presents, but they does their own little family thing with Katherine for hanukkah before then and then they bring the leftovers for us and we all have a party!” Jack rambled as he helped Crutch pack.

An hour later, a quick call to Medda, and Jack and Crutchie were sitting on a Greyhound bound for the city, chattering away, with Spot and Race coupling in the seats next to them, a few seats back, Smalls and Finch were playing Uno across the Aisle with Specs and Romeo, laughing a tad loud at times, and Davey and Sarah were sitting at the very back, with the three seat row, talking and joking the whole way back.

When they arrived, Medda greeted them, with hugs for all of them, including Crutchie, before they all piled into the van Kloppman drove, with the six of them just barely fitting, and laughing the whole way back to the Bowery brownstone.

When they arrived, everyone unpiled and ran up to their rooms, Jack dragging Crutchie behind him and both grinned like cheshire cats. 

Over the course of the days before Christmas, Crutchie felt more at home than he ever had, through the slushball fights, homemade cookies from Miss Medda (“Just Medda’s fine hun” “Sure thing Miss Medda!”) accompanied by Kloppman’s “Famous” hot cocoa, the Jacob’s littlest boy Les teaching Crutchie how to play dreidel and Pokemon Go simultaneously, and kissing Jack for the first time under the mistletoe, that Christmas Day came without warning, and as Crutchie shared a huge comfy chair with Jack, the two curled up together, he had his first of many perfectly happy moments with his family and Jack Kelly.


End file.
